CHAP. IV. Sewel's P. 646. grant, but to their shame, as the witnesses of God, it was granted to them, in particular, upon their humble request, and their religion established by act of parliament. 33. In the year 1702, WILLIAM died, and PrinHistory, cess ANN, was proclaimed queen. To her also, the Friends sent many addresses. Thus their petitions for the redress of their grievances, were mixed with addresses of applause to the great ones of the earth, until they were placed upon equal ground of respectability with other Protestants; and thus the offence of the cross ceased, the glory of their ancients passed away, and left another people in the outward form, but destitute of the power; so that chosen witnesses were raised up, among themselves, to testify of their fall and apostacy from their original spirit. 34. The spirit and power of eternal truth confirmed the testimony of George Fox, and many of those who were cotemporary with him, that they were sent of God as true witnesses. But there is decided proof that a people of the same name followed after, who, as a people, were not the true witnesses: for as God never did raise up one true witness to testify against another; therefore the testimony of John Griffith, whom they acknowledge to have been sent of God, stands as an undeniable proof that their power, as a people, was gone, in about sixty years from the time of their addresses to the queen. 35. From the many lamentations of this faithful labourer, over a back-sliding people, it will be suffiGriffith's cient to notice the following. "Many under our reJournal,ligious profession, (says he,) resting in the profes'sion only, is the principal reason that we find divers ' under our name more insensible, harder to be reach'ed unto, and awakened by a living powerful minis try, than any other religious persuasion. This may seem strange to some, but I know it is lamentably bid. .105. ' true." 36. On his visiting the Friends in America, he makes this reflection. "When I have considered the low, indifferent, languid state of those under our name, in many places, both in this and other nations, chiefly occasioned by an inordinate love of the IV. world, and the things thereof, my soul has been CHAP. 'deeply humbled in awful prostration." p. 108. 37. In speaking of the meetings managed by un- Griffith's sanctified spirits, he saith, "The seed of God, which Journal, should have dominion in all our meetings, is depressed-This spirit getting in amongst us, in every part of the body or society, cannot fail of laying waste; therefore let all consider what spirit rules them. It is a mournful truth, (adds he,) that ' among the many thousands of Israel, there are but few, in comparison, who really stand quite upright;'who cannot be at all warped by fear, interest, favour, ' or affection." 38. How far this character falls below the testimony and expectations of the first true witnesses called Quakers, is evident from all their writings, especially from those of Edward Burrough. The truth is,' those blunt and illiterate men, as they are called, who first broke out with such rude and ambiguous expressions, were never commissioned to found a church, nor to build up any people upon the authority of their extraordinary testimony: for no church or people could be established till the reign of Antichrist was at an end. 39. But while they testified against all the false churches, and false systems, that existed on earth, they were commissioned from heaven to announce their certain downfall, and the setting up of that church or kingdom which should stand forever; but the work was not given them to do; their commission extended no further than to declare that God was about to effect it, and would, by means of his own chusing, most certainly accomplish it in his own time. 40. This will appear most strikingly evident from the writings of Edward Burrough, who was cotemporary with George Fox, and who, in the year 1662, in the 28th year of his age, died a prisoner at Newgate, London, for the word of God, and for the testimony which he held. The following short extracts, from his own writings, may show the nature of that testimony for which he patiently suffered unto death. 41. "All ye inhabitants of the earth, in all nations works, throughout the world; hearken and give ear, the 2 Bar rough's 247. IV. CHAP. word of the Lord God, that made heaven and earth ' is toward you; he is coming to set up his kingdom and his dominion, which never shall have an end; ' and the kingdoms of this world shall be changed, ' and shall become the kingdom of the Son of God. The kingdom of Christ is near to come, and the 'kingdoms of this world shall be changed, and none shall have any part therein, but they that are re' deemed out of kindreds, tongues, and people: this we believe; he that can receive it let him." Burrough's 42. "This is the time in which all the men of this Works,p.generation are fallen, and the scripture is fulfilled; 193, 194. the night wherein no man can work is upon the ibid. p. 195, & 197. 'world; and further, this is the time of Antichrist's "dominion. And also we know, the time is now approaching, that the dominion of the beast is near an end, and the holy city shall the saints possess, and 'the Gentiles shall be driven out of it, according as 'John said. I say, the time is well nigh expired, ' and finished, and the Lord God Almighty, and the 'Lamb is risen to make war against the beast and his 'image, who hath reigned over the kingdoms of the 'world. But now the mighty day of the Lord, and the judgment of the whore is approaching, wherein she shall be rewarded according to her works." 43. "This I have received from God, I say the holy city shall be measured, and she shall be adorn"ed, and as a bride for her husband shall she be prepared; and God's tabernacle shall be with men. The kingdom of the beast must down, and the princely power of darkness must be overthrown, and laws, and times, and things, and powers of men 'shall be overthrown, and overturned, till he come to reign in the earth, whose right it is to reign over "nations and people." 44. This is written as moved of the Lord, to go abroad through the nations, that all may understand 'concerning the times, and the changing of times, and how the beast hath reigned in dominion-and the kingdom of Christ hath not been known upon the earth for many generations; but the beast hath 'been established in his throne of rebellion against Christ Jesus."... ر IV. Bur Works, 45. "All this traditional worship, and false imita- CHAP. tions which have been set up since the apostles days, shall be overthrown and confounded; the Lord is risen and will dash down, and overthrow all this rough's 'idolatry now practised amongst Christians: and a p. 437. . great shaking and confounding shall suddenly come 6 among Christians; for the Lord will break down 'that which hath been builded, because it is polluted; and he will pluck up that which hath been 'planted, because it is defiled; and a mighty work will the Lord work in the earth.-And for this state, all that fear God, and love him, are to wait, for 'this shall come to pass in the world." " ibid. 46. "Concerning the things whereof we have tes'tified these divers years, I am no way doubtful but p. 766. our God will fulfil them, neither can my confidence 'be shaken, by what is or can come to pass; for An• tichrist must fall, false ministry and worship, false ways and doctrines God will confound, false power and false church the Lord will lay low;-and Truth and Righteousness must reign.-These things have we prophesied from day to day; and my faith is constant and immoveable, that God will effect these things in his season." 47. The epistles and warnings of this faithful witness of Christ, are left as a standing monument of the testimony of truth at that day; as a controversy of God with all the inhabitants of the earth, directed unto all sorts of people; as a trumpet of the Lord, and a true noise of a fearful earthquake at hand, which shall shake the whole fabrick of the earth, and the pillars of its standing shall fall, and never more be set up again. Declared and written by a son of thunder, as a warning to all the inhabitants of the earth. By order and authority given unto me by the Spirit of the living God. So testified Edward Burrough, in the year 1655. 48. Beginning at the head of the nation, he delivers his message to Oliver Cromwell, and all his council-To all judges and lawyers-To all astrologers, soothsayers, and wise men-To all generals, colonels, commanders, officers, and soldiers, in England, Scotland, and Ireland-To all the priests, and proph v. ets, and teachers of the people-To all the Papists, their whole body and head at Rome-To all Protestants of the eldest sort-To all Presbyterians and Independents-To all Anabaptists-To all free willers --To all Ranters-To ali seekers and waiters.-And lastly, to those who were in the light of eternal life. I And two years after, he delivered ten solemn warnings to Friends.* 49. Those testimonies, which were then delivered from time to time, breathe the most evident spirit of prophecy, in regard to the end of a corrupt Christian World, and the setting up of the pure and everlasting kingdom of Christ. 50. Now certain it is, that the many complaints of worldly mindedness, of deadness and insensibility, of resting on a mere profession, and of receiving a false spirit, which stand against the general body of the Friends, by their own writers, are sufficient evidences that they are not that pure, spiritual and heavenly church, of which those witnesses prophesied, whose name they now bear. the er CHAPTER V. The Subject continued. HE church of Christ, in the latter day, was not TH to be composed of the worldly minded-the dead and insensible—or of such as would be led away by a false spirit. Yet not one word of truth could fall to the ground that had been delivered by the witnesses of God: for the whole must be accomplished. 2. The dissolution of the Christian World, with all its false establishments, was an event as certain as any that had ever been marked out by the spirit of prophecy; and the jarring materials of which it was composed, lost the centre of their attraction and bands of uniformity, within forty years after the testimony These addresses may be seen at large in Burrough's Works, p. 96 to 114. |